Comment: The following editorial appeared in the Cyprus Weekly of Nicosia on 25 March 2005.

Human Rights, Annan, Cyprus and the Turks

"What is even more incredible, however, about this whole sorry mess is that Annan also ignores his own advice to the UN to make human rights defence more effective and credible by including a special provision in his Cyprus... plan that specifically rules out the right of the Greek Cypriot refugees to apply to the Human Rights Court for the restitution of their rights!"

THE importance of respect for human rights on a global scale was
stressed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan this week as one of the main
issues that need to be tackled by the world body.

In his report for the renewal at the United Nations Annan declared
that, "you can be truly free only if you are secure from war and
violence, and if your fundamental rights and dignity are upheld by law.
Human rights, development and security are mutually interdependent, and
taken together they add up to larger freedom."

He then urged UN member states "to make international machinery
for defending human rights more effective and credible."

What lovely words!

But how tragically hollow coming from the man who, more than
anybody else, should be steadfast and unwavering in upholding respect
for human rights, dignity and the law, insists instead on the imposition
of his reunification plan for Cyprus that grossly violates these three
basic precepts.

Indeed, how can Annan, who wants the UN "to make international
machinery for defending human rights more effective and credible,''
ignore the judgements of the Human Rights Court of the Council of Europe
in his Cyprus reunification report?

The Court found Turkey guilty of violating the human rights of the
ethnically cleansed Greek Cypriot refugees, and, what is more, demanded
the full restitution of these rights.

Instead of living up to his words and his appeal to the UN, "to
make international machinery for defending human rights more effective
and credible,'' Annan tosses these judgements of the Human Rights Court
into the waste paper basket. He chose instead to back the illegal
Turkish demands that in some cases totally reject, and in others
restrict, the refugees' right for full restitution of their rights, that
is their return to their homes and the full restitution of their
usurped properties.

What is even more incredible, however, about this whole sorry mess
is that Annan also ignores his own advice to the UN to make human rights
defence more effective and credible by including a special provision in
his Cyprus reunification plan that specifically rules out the right of
the Greek Cypriot refugees to apply to the Human Rights Court for the
restitution of their rights!